Ukraine says it’s ready for another round of talks — but it’s still waiting for the ceasefire memo Russia promised

Meduza.io

Russia’s delegation addresses the media following talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 16.

On May 19, three days after Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul for their first direct talks in over three years, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call. Afterwards, Putin announced that Moscow was “ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum concerning a possible future peace treaty.” Nine days later, on May 28, Russia proposed another round of talks in Istanbul on June 2. Now, Ukraine’s foreign minister has said that Kyiv is ready to attend the talks — but it’s still waiting for Moscow’s promised memorandum. Here’s where the situation stands.

Ukraine is prepared to participate in a new round of talks with Russia in Istanbul, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said on Friday at a press conference in Kyiv on Friday. However, he stressed that Kyiv is still waiting for Moscow to deliver the draft ceasefire memorandum it previously promised.

“We are interested in continuing the talks in Turkey. We want this war to end this year. We’re ready to discuss a ceasefire. Ukraine is open to direct talks with Russia,” Sybiha said.

The foreign minister emphasized that it was essential for Ukraine to receive the Russian proposal in advance to ensure that its delegation will be properly authorized to negotiate on specific points.

It’s unclear how Ukraine will proceed if Russia fails to provide the document ahead of time. Moscow insists on handing over the memorandum in person — at the start of the talks — and beginning negotiations immediately. Russian officials haven’t explained their reluctance to share the document in advance.

Read more about the last Istanbul talks

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Though he confirmed Ukraine’s readiness to send a delegation to Istanbul, Sybiha did not comment on a potential date. Russia has proposed June 2 for the next meeting.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Friday that the Russian delegation “is heading to Istanbul and will be ready to resume talks on Monday morning.” Russia’s Foreign Ministry added that Minister Sergey Lavrov had already discussed preparations for the meeting in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart.

The Russian side also stressed that it views the Istanbul talks as strictly bilateral, stating that “no mediation is currently under discussion.” Meanwhile, U.S. presidential envoy Keith Kellogg said that representatives from the United States, France, Germany, and the U.K. will be in Turkey on Monday.

Commenting on Kellogg’s remarks, Peskov said European involvement in consultations may be possible in the future, but not at this stage. “Of course, the future of European security must involve the Europeans — there’s no way around that. But as far as Monday in Istanbul is concerned, we’re talking strictly about direct Russia–Ukraine negotiations,” he said.

Peskov also said that neither the Russian nor Ukrainian versions of the ceasefire memorandum will be made public. However, The New York Times has reported details from the Ukrainian proposal, citing a senior Ukrainian official. According to the source, the draft includes provisions for a land and air ceasefire, with monitoring by “international partners.”

Later on Friday, Peskov told reporters that Putin is “ready for top-level talks on Ukraine” but that a “concrete outcome must first be reached in direct negotiations between the delegations.”

That evening, Zelensky commented on the situation, writing on Telegram that “for over a week now, the Russians have failed to present the so-called ‘memorandum’ they promised to prepare immediately after the 1,000-for-1,000 [prisoner] exchange.” He accused Moscow of doing “everything it can to make the next possible meeting a failure.”